After Shen Han acquired the Martial Skill "Dimensional Space," he immediately dedicated himself to Cultivating it.
Despite his Space Special Ability being only B-Rank, he did not slack off, instead diligently refining the skill's details day and night.
However, the Space Element is, after all, rare and difficult to control. Even after a month, his "Dimensional Space" had only reached the Realm of Minor Achievement, capable of opening up only 1 cubic meter of space.
This progress made Shen Han realize that to further expand the space's size, he would need additional resources to assist him; otherwise, at his current Rank, progress would be quite slow.
At the same time, Shen Han used his accumulated 1000 academic credits to exchange for the potion for Cultivating Golden-Rank Mental Energy, [Divine Thought Crystal], which is a type of Spiritual Crystal Stone with better effects than Spiritual Crystal Stone and Quenching Spirit Liquid, specifically used for improving Golden-Rank Mental Energy.
Lightning Element New Student Dorm.
Shen Han sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, surrounded by a circle of [Divine Thought Crystal] emitting a mysterious glow, with faint energy fluctuations emanating from these crystal stones.
Shen Han took a deep breath, slowly mobilized the Mental Energy within his body, and guided the [Divine Thought Crystal] energy to converge towards his Sea of Consciousness. As the energy surged, he could feel a subtle pressure beginning to spread through his mind.
Suddenly, Shen Han's brow furrowed slightly as a hint of pain came from deep within his Sea of Consciousness. But he did not give up, clenching his teeth tightly and continuing to persevere. Gradually, the pain grew more intense, as if countless steel needles were pricking his Sea of Consciousness.
However, just as he felt he could no longer hold on, a flash of light suddenly appeared in his Sea of Consciousness. Immediately after, a cool sensation instantly spread throughout his body, and the pain vanished.
Shen Han slowly opened his eyes, a look of surprise in them. He could feel that his Mental Energy had greatly improved during the recent Cultivation.
A month of arduous Cultivation, the [Divine Thought Crystal] exchanged with 1000 points, and the Mental Divine Might he had absorbed on the 42nd floor of the Soul Forging Tower, all were completely consumed. Shen Han's Realm also increased from Martial Spirit Fourth Stage to Martial Spirit Sixth Stage Early Stage, further strengthening his power.
Name: Shen Han
Mental Energy: 3091 / 3400 (Martial Spirit Sixth Stage)
Special Ability Rank: Chaos Element - SSS-Rank, Lightning Element - SS-Rank, Dark Element - S-Rank, Fire Element - S-Rank, Space Element - B-Rank, Mental Element - SS-Rank, Wood Element - SS-Rank
Realizing that Cultivation alone was far from enough, Shen Han decided to utilize the school's abundant task resources to further accumulate experience and earn academic credits.
With this determination, he headed to the Mission Hall.
The Mission Hall was bustling with people, and a dazzling array of mission information flickered on the light screens, covering everything from item retrieval and expulsion to wilderness exploration and escort duties.
Shen Han scanned the mission announcements on the hall walls, carefully sifting through tasks suitable for him. He not only wanted to earn academic credits but also needed to use the opportunity to hone his multi-element Special Ability coordination skills.
Suddenly, a mission caught his eye:
"Third-Tier Exotic Beast Hunting Mission"
Mission Reward: 2000 academic credits
Mission Content: Go to Xishan Forest to hunt a Third-Tier Exotic Beast—a Shadow Leopard. The Shadow Leopard is known for its speed and stealth abilities, and it possesses space-type mutated skills, making it extremely dangerous.
Mission Requirement: Martial Spirit Fifth Stage and above
Shen Han's heart stirred. This mission not only offered generous rewards, but the Shadow Leopard's beast core itself possessed space attributes, which might provide material for improving his "Dimensional Space." Furthermore, he could take this opportunity to test the coordination abilities of "Dimensional Space" with Lightning Element and Dark Element.
"This mission is good, I'll take it," Shen Han decided to himself.
Shen Han accepted the mission to hunt the Shadow Leopard through the System, returned to his dormitory to pack his bags, and prepared to depart.
Not long after, Lu Yanlin received a message from his subordinate, Lu Renjia.
It turned out that Lu Renjia was a Genius from a branch of the Lu Family, and he had been admitted to Mingzhu Martial Arts University along with Lu Yanlin. In order to gain higher status and resources within the Family, he had long since attached himself to Lu Yanlin.
To earn academic credits, Lu Renjia was responsible for maintaining order in the Mission Hall. When he saw Shen Han accept the Shadow Leopard mission, he immediately notified Lu Yanlin. He knew full well Lu Yanlin's hatred for Shen Han.
Lu Yanlin quickly received the news.
Facing Shen Han's record-breaking glorious achievements and his top scholar status which surpassed him, he was already resentful. Now, hearing that Shen Han was undertaking a mission alone, a hint of malice appeared in his eyes.
"This guy from a small place really doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, daring to undertake a high-difficulty mission by himself," Lu Yanlin sneered. "Since he's delivering himself to my doorstep, I'll let him know that some people are not to be trifled with."
Lu Yanlin quickly contacted some experts in stealth and tracking from his Family and arranged for several private guards, ordering them to go to Xishan Forest to set an ambush and intercept Shen Han.
As the Lu Family's influence in Mingzhu was considerable, they quickly mobilized personnel and dispatched two Martial Spirit Peak powerhouses to lead a team of 10 people towards Xishan Forest.
Xishan Forest, located northwest of Mingzhu Martial Arts University, was enveloped in the gloom of late autumn, with no sunlight penetrating the forest. Giant trees, like black giants, had dense, intertwined branches and leaves, completely obscuring the sky.
Thick mist slowly drifted across the ground, mixed with the scent of decaying leaves, giving one an indescribable sense of oppression upon entering. The occasional low growls of wild beasts echoed through the deep forest, like malevolent warnings, reminding intruders that this was not a welcoming place.
Before departing, Shen Han specifically purchased a detailed map of Xishan Forest and an exotic beast distribution map. Following the route marked on the map, he traveled several kilometers through the forest before finally finding traces of the Shadow Leopard in a secluded dense forest.
"It seems this mission shouldn't take too much effort," he thought to himself, his eyes focused as he observed his surroundings. "I just need to wait for the Shadow Leopard to appear."
Just then, Shen Han felt a subtle abnormal aura coming from behind him. As a Martial Artist with rich combat experience, he immediately became alert and quickly concealed his own aura.
Moments later, sure enough, several figures in black cloaks approached silently, their footsteps carrying a strong killing intent, each step exuding a chilling aura.
"I wonder if they're coming for me. First, let's test the effect of 'Dimensional Space,'" Shen Han used "Dimensional Space," which he had only recently learned.
Communicating with "Dimensional Space" through Mental Energy, he instantly vanished from his original spot, entering the 1 cubic meter space he had opened. In this Dimensional Space, he clearly observed everything outside—the actions of the assassins and other exotic beasts lurking in the forest. However, the assassins outside were completely unaware of his disappearance.
"There was clearly a movement just now, how did it suddenly disappear?" One of the assassins looked around suspiciously.
"Sure enough, they are targeting me," Shen Han mused to himself, a vague guess forming in his mind, though he wasn't entirely certain yet.
"Split up and search!" The leading Martial Spirit Peak assassin ordered coldly, and the others quickly dispersed, fanning out to search for Shen Han's traces in the forest.